1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sockets. More particularly, the present invention relates to sockets for use in loosening and tightening nuts and washers in difficult to reach locations. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to devices for loosening and tightening nuts and washers used to connect pipes and tubing to basin faucet connections.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a variety of situations, it is a common problem for individuals seeking to connect or disconnect a coupling to gain access to such a coupling in a manner that enables reasonable loosening or tightening of the coupling. The coupling may be in a remote location or movement may be restricted by the particular surroundings. For example, a fitting associated with an engine may be in an awkward location with little lateral movement possible, or it may be adjacent to other relatively immovable objects. The individual must therefore have a very specialized tool to contact the fitting and rotate it. More often, the individual must use a relatively standard tool, such as a wrench, and go through a series of contortions to access the fitting and rotate it in a limited manner such as by making very short movements and resetting the tool on the fitting.
The situations in which an individual can find himself or herself in need of a specialized tool to gain access to a fitting, coupling or connection may be endless. One such situation that generated the conception of the present invention relates to the connection of supply and return pipes and tubes to the faucet of a basin or sink. That connection comprises one or more coupling nuts that removably join the supply and return pipes/tubes to the faucet mechanism. The connection is ordinarily located on the underside of the basin, where the space is confined and the tubes and pipes restrict the ability to move laterally. That confinement and restriction on lateral movement make difficult the use of a standard open-ended or box-end wrench to loosen or tighten the coupling nut. Moreover, the tube/pipe is substantially aligned on center with the center of the connecting device. That alignment prevents use of any inline device, such as a close-ended socket on a ratchet with extension, because the pipe/tube restricts access as well as rotational movement.
There are several limitations associated with devices that would otherwise be used for loosening and tightening connections in confined areas and with tube/pipe alignment restrictions. One such limitation is having the opening used to contact and retain the connector being centered on the body of the device. A device with an opening that is centered on the device body, such as an open-ended socket, will be adversely restricted by the alignment of the tube or pipe with the connecting nut. Another limitation is having the component of the device used to cause device rotationxe2x80x94such as a socket driverxe2x80x94centered on the body of the device. A device with such a restriction may also be adversely affected by the alignment of the tube or pipe with the connecting nut. Yet another limitation is having the component of the device used to cause rotation positioned adjacent to the body of the device. Placing the driver substantially away from the center of the body significantly reduces the mechanical advantage required to force connector rotation. A further undesired limitation is having a substantially long device body relative to the height of the connector. That limitation may cause binding of the device on the connector under any misalignment condition.
Therefore, what is needed is a device for loosening and tightening connections located in confined spaces. The device must include a body member for retaining the connector and designed to allow its rotation by a rotation-causing element such as a socket driver. The opening of the body member for retaining the connector is preferably not centered on the body. What is also needed is such a device designed to position the component that causes rotation of the body member off center from the center of the body member.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a socket for loosening and tightening connectors located in confined spaces. It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a socket having a body member with an off-center connector retention space and an off-center port for receiving a socket driver. It is therefore an object of the present invention to enable leveraged movement of a confined connector element with reduced impedance to that element caused by the positioning of tubes or pipes connected therewith.
These and other objects are achieved by the present invention, which is an improved socket. The socket is a socket body having a slot running its length and, in one face, a driver port for receiving a socket driver. The driver port is offset from the centerline of the socket body. The opposing face of the socket body and that portion of the slot adjacent to that face are configured to grab a connector nut to be loosened or tightened. Having a slot through the length of the socket allows a user to comfortably fit the socket around any tubing or piping that terminates in or passes through the nut to be loosened or tightened. Having the driver port off center of the body but still part of the socket body allows the user to comfortably manipulate the socket at a distance and with leverage. The opposing face of the socket may also include face slots spaced to accommodate the wings of a plastic nut should one have to be loosened or tightened.
A single socket body of the present invention may be configured to accept connector nuts of varied sizes. That capability may be achieved by forming a portion of the slotted space of the socket body with a plurality of stepped regions varying in dimensions that comform to the dimensions of connector nut sizes in use. Alternatively, the socket body may be configured with only one nut-retaining space configuration. A plurality of socket bodies each with a different slot space configuration may be assembled in a kit to allow a user to employ separate sockets for differing nut dimensions.
The nut-receiving space is established by forming in the socket body an annulus, the center of which is off the centerline of the socket body. The socket body may be cylindrical or polygonal. A portion of the circumference of the wall of the annulus is removed through the entire length and through the thinner portion of the annulus wall to form a slot therein. The width of the slot is selectable but of a size sufficient to allow a pipe or tube to pass there through. A nut capturing region is established adjacent to a first face of the socket body. The nut capturing region is formed in the thicker portion of the annulus wall adjacent to that first face. The opposing face of the socket body includes a driver port for receiving a socket driver. The driver port is located in the thicker portion of the annulus wall.
The present invention is a socket with an off-center slot at one end thereof and an off-center socket driver port in an opposing end thereof. That design enables the user to loosen and tighten connectors in confined spaces by permitting access and maintaining mechanical leverage. These and other advantages of the invention will become apparent upon review of the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.